One K-9 joins the force as another retires

Thursday

Dec 20, 2018 at 2:25 PM

DARTMOUTH — Ryker, an 85-pound German Shepherd, retired last month after seven years as Bristol County Officer Mike Bettencourt’s partner. The 9-year-old dog has health issues and was approaching the retirement age of 10.

Ryker is a patrol dog, meaning his training is specifically for tracking people. He’s been utilized over the years to find suspects who flee crime scenes or mentally challenged seniors or children that wander away from home. Bettencourt recalled how Ryker helped the New Bedford Police Department Gang Unit track down a suspect in the South End.

Kofy is the newest member of the K9 unit. He is a 65-pound, 16-month old Belgian Malinois who is learning skills like pursuit and tracking scents, but the most important lesson early on is teamwork and building a bond with Bettencourt.

Kofy is ahead of schedule in the basic academy and will graduate early in 2019. A year later, he will begin training to detect illegal drugs.

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